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> When I’m old and dying, I plan to look back on my life and say "wow, that was an adventure," not "wow, I sure felt safe."

A great conclusion to a great article. Definitely a motto to live by.

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A cynical mind might say that a really adventurous life might also expose one to more risk of being young and dying, rather than old. Or other less than pleasant outcomes.

That's why our brains afford us both desires: the need for adventure, and the need for security. The two keep each other in check. Adventurous people, who aren't reckless, simply choose to be more adventurous than fearful when there aren't too many real safety risks, but mostly perceived ones.

Perhaps a pithier wording of this is "Regret the things you did do, not the things you didn't do."

Or "I don't regret the things I've done, but those I did not do." - Lucas, Empire Records

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